Thieves steal gold and diamond from Atherton home after distracting elderly resident

By Rhea Mahbubani

Daily News Staff Writer

Posted:
08/28/2014 08:17:57 PM PDT

Updated:
08/28/2014 11:46:58 PM PDT

Thieves stole gold pieces and a large diamond after distracting an elderly resident who allowed them inside his Atherton home, police said.

A man rang the doorbell of the house on Mesa Court at about noon and identified himself as a plumber, according to police. He said there was a sewage problem down the street that had contaminated water, rendering it unfit for drinking, police said.

Without asking for permission, the man then entered the house and began turning on water faucets to divert the resident's attention.

Meanwhile, an accomplice entered through the opened front door and stole items from the master bedroom, police reported.

Officers investigating the crime believe the burglar may have spoken with the resident's spouse at the Sharon Heights Safeway, pressurizing her to divulge her home address, police said.

Police said that distraction burglaries are on the rise, though this was Atherton's first. For more information about distraction burglaries, visit http://goo.gl/pwBLJy.